FasTracKids Programs

Do you ever wonder what your baby is thinking? As parents of infants, we know our children can communicate before they can speak. Our FasTrack® Signing program will help you understand what your child is trying to tell you, without the frustration. Our program teaches you a method to help your child express their thoughts and needs. As your baby is experiencing the world around them, they can now share their experiences with you.

In our FasTrack Signing classroom, you learn along with other parents and children. This supportive community gives you a fun filled place to learn and grow together. During the weekly 1-hour FasTrack Signing class children will increase their vocabulary through song, movement and creative play. Parents will join other adult caregivers in learning fun techniques to communicate with your baby.

FasTrack Signing is for all children 6 months – 2 years old as we focus on building their strengths, giving them a head start on early learning.

Our research shows that when children are ready to speak , they will start speaking with more words than a child that hasn’t attended the FasTrack Signing class. Beyond the research, the close connection that is created between you and your child is immeasurable.

National Study of Signing Children

Doctors Anthony and Lindert conducted a groundbreaking study on the benefits of teaching children to communicate through signing. Their research showed the positive impact on early communication as well as spoken language development. The study consisted of more than 200 families from all over the country whose children range from 6 months to 19 months, and it included both cross-sectional as well as longitudinal data. All families who participated in the study used FasTrack Signing (originally Signing Smart) programming for at least 8 weeks. Data was collected over a span of about 9 months.

Results

Compared to developmental norms, FasTrack Signing children have enriched language and communication skills:

At 8 months, the average child will have no spoken words – at 8 months, the average FasTrack Signing child will have 5 signs and 1 word.

At 12 months, the average child will have 3-5 spoken words – at 12 months, the average FasTrack Signing child will have 25 signs and 16 words.

At 18 months, the average child will have 10-50 spoken words – at 18 months, the average FasTrack Signing child will have 79 signs and 105 words.

At 20 months, the average child will begin to combine words into short sentences (e.g., “Da-da car”) – at 11-14 months, the average FasTrack Signing child begin to combine signs and words to form short sentences.

These results indicate that FasTrack Signing facilitates both overall communicative abilities as well as spoken language skills in hearing infants and toddlers.